Community Blog

February 25, 2015 |
Tasty Recipes |
Erin Rosar

The History of the Crock-Pot

While it's estimated that over 70% of all households own at least one slow cooker, it's incredible just how little is known about it's origins and the man behind this cherished kitchen staple. On May 21st, 1936​, Irving Naxon, a life-long inventor from Chicago, Illinois, applied for a patent on a cooking device that was inspired by his grandmother's recipe for a slow cooked cholent or Jewish Meat Stew.

His grandmother used to cook the stew in a pot overnight in a bakery oven when it was turned off, and so Irving was trying to create a device that would emulate the "low and slow" cooking style that made his grandmother's dish so delicious.

Irving brought his "Naxon Beanery" all-purpose cooking device to market in the early 1950's, where it quickly found favour with women running busy households and taking on more jobs in the workforce outside the home. In 1970, the Rival Manufacturing Company bought the company and in 1971, rebranded the Naxon Beanery to the "Crock-Pot" in 1972 and relaunched the product with a removable stoneware insert that could be removed and served from at the table.

The Crock-Pot has been a beloved kitchen appliance for over 60 years with only a small decline in sales in the early 1980's - when the microwave oven was the newest "must-have" device. Today, the Crock-Pot is as popular as ever with famous chefs around the world touting its praises and versatility, so that we once again see a new generation of loyal and happy cookers who have a Crock-Pot sitting on their counter and with a bit of easy planning come home to a delicious home cooked meal at the end of a long day.